1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stringed musical instruments, and more particularly, to a mechanism for producing an even tuning tremolo effect in a stringed musical instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tremolo devices have been used for many years with stringed musical instruments for creating a vibrato sound. Various structures have been proposed and utilized for this purpose.
Broadly, a tremolo mechanism allows the musician to change the tension on all of the strings of the instrument simultaneously to create a pitch change during vibration of the strings. Typically, a moving tailpiece on the body of a guitar is utilized to accomplish this tension change. In such a mechanism, a pivot point is established and the tailpiece pivots about that point. A counterspring may be utilized to counteract the pull of the strings on the tailpiece; as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,005. A handle is generally provided for pivoting the tailpiece while simultaneously playing the instrument.
One of the most significant problems in tremolo devices relates to the inability to maintain pitch relationship between the individual strings. The devices which are known typically move all strings of the instrument the same distance when the mechanism is actuated. Since the higher pitch strings of the instrument generally have much more stretch than the lower pitch strings, the lower pitch strings generally change pitch more readily. For example, if a chord is played on the instrument and the tremolo mechanism is actuated, the lower pitch strings of the instrument change pitch faster than the higher pitch strings, and the pitch relationships within the chord are lost.
Various proposals have been made to correct this shortcoming. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,394 to Jones discloses a tremolo system in which the tail end of each string can be fixed at different relative distances from the pivot point of the tremolo tailpiece so that the end of each string can be displaced through a greater or lesser distance relative to the other strings. Even though the end of each string rotates through the same angle relative to the pivot point, this differential displacement occurs because strings positioned at a greater radial distance from the pivot point are translated over a longer distance than strings positioned at a lesser radial distance from the pivot point.
In such a manner, some of the shortcomings in conventional tremolo systems have been overcome. However, provisions for accommodating other characteristics of the strings are not made. Therefore, known arrangements do not satisfactorily provide a tremolo system for varying the absolute pitch of the strings while maintaining the relative pitch of the strings during pivoting of the tailpiece.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved even tuning tremolo system for varying the absolute pitch of the strings of a musical instrument while maintaining the relative pitch of the strings during pivoting of the tailpiece to which the strings are attached.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.